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Men’s Wheelchair Basketball team unveiled for Rio 2016

on 20-06-2016 13:57

Meet the 12 wheelchair basketball players who will compete in the men’s tournament for ParalympicsGB at Rio 2016.

The team is led by four-time Paralympian Terry Bywater, who already holds two bronze medals to his name. A veteran of multiple Games, Bywater has seen the development of Paralympic sport over two decades and is looking forward to competing at the first Games since London 2012.

"The pride at being able to compete at a Paralympics never wears off." Terry Bywater

“I am so pleased to have been selected once again, the excitement and the pride at being able to compete at a Paralympics never wears off.

“Rio will be such an important Games for us as athletes. It’s the first Games after London, and that was a watershed Games in terms of public support and recognition for Paralympic athletes. Hopefully that can continue in 2016, both with the British public as well as in Rio.”

The team’s other co-captain is Simon Brown, who is back for his second Games after first representing ParalympicsGB at Beijing 2008, where the team won bronze.

He reiterated Bywater’s sentiments and added: “I’m really excited to see our fans support us in our build up to the Paralympics over the next few months and for them to know they can really supercharge our preparations for Rio and the future.

Making his seventh appearance at a Games, Paralympic veteran Simon Munn has also been selected for the 2016 squad, alongside five new names.

Amongst the athletes approaching their first Games is 21 year old Harry Brown who has been playing internationally since he was 15. The youngest player to ever be selected to represent the GB Men’s Senior Team when he made his debut at the BT Paralympic World Cup in 2011, Brown has competed at numerous major events. Having only narrowly missed out on London 2012, he has made the team-sheet this time around.

"We’re going to be a force to be reckoned with at Rio 2016.” Harry Brown

Brown commented today: “The Paralympic Games is the absolute pinnacle of our sport and I am really excited and proud to be selected to the team that will represent ParalympicsGB in Rio. There is huge strength and depth of skill in our team and I also hope to learn a lot from the experience of my team-mates. We’re going to be a force to be reckoned with at Rio 2016.”

Penny Briscoe, Chef de Mission for ParalympicsGB, said: “Wheelchair Basketball is undoubtedly one of the most exciting and engaging sports on the Paralympic programme, it is a clear crowd favourite and I know that this British team will be in a position to put on a fantastic show. The level of experience in this team is arguably unprecedented for a ParalympicsGB team and I can’t wait to see them in action.

“I would like to pay tribute to all the hard work done behind the scenes by players and staff at British Wheelchair Basketball in developing a GB team with such a tough and competitive line up.”

Team Leader and British Wheelchair Basketball Performance Director Paul Davies said: “I am very proud of the team that is being announced today. For our performance programme London 2012 presented us with many opportunities and created a greater public awareness of the sport. With this increased national support behind us, our established performance team in place and the players we have selected; we are aiming for a medal position at Rio 2016.”

Today’s announcement takes the number of selected athletes on the ParalympicsGB team to 138, across 11 sports.